The Founder of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam has said that the party is not asking for any favour from the Supreme Court but for the Court to grant it justice and fairness in determining its case before it.
It will be recalled that Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano and the NNPP had appealed the judgement of the Court of Appeal voiding the election of the former as the Executive Governor of Kano State and declaring the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC as the rightful winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state.
Speaking at the prayer rally for the victory of Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State at the Supreme Court, organized by the members of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF, the parent body of NNPP in Lagos recently, Aniebonam urged the Supreme Court to look beyond technicalities and religious or political affiliation to respect and affirm the choice freely made by the people of Kano State.
He maintained that NNPP won the governorship election in Kano landslide even as he wondered how the victory freely handed over to the party by the people of Kano State would now be in contention.
Noting that discussing the Kano Governorship matter at the gathering may amount to subjudice since the matter was before the supreme court, he however, said, “the truth is that any of you who has been following especially the certified true copy of the judgement of the appellate court, some say it’s a typographical error. Typographical error can be where you are supposed to put “s”, you didn’t put it but if it has to do with a whole sentence, something is wrong.”
On why he mobilized members of NAGAFF to organize a prayer rally for the victory of Governor Abba Yusuf of Kano State at the Supreme Court not minding the crisis rocking NNPP allegedly targeted at him, Aniebonam who is also the founder of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF said, “I am in touch with the governor of Kano State and that could have been one of the major reason I have to factor this prayer session for God’s intervention. Yes, a lot of people have made statement on air but I will like to say to all of you that I do not have any issue with Senator Kwankwaso and for all of you who thought there is a problem between me and him, there is none.
“I have listened to all men of God, I think God is not happy because, how come will you now say that you have expelled the representative of God on earth via New Nigeria People’s Party? You have sacked God now, you have pursued God. So, the preaching today, the conversation today is about mercy and forgiveness. I think that will be the high point of this conversation.
“Mercy and forgiveness and I am happy, I have listened to the high command of NAGAFF who are the owners of NNPP . NNPP is a child of NAGAFF but if you see the attitude and conduct of many of NAGAFF members, if not for what is going on, you won’t even know that they are the owners of the party because they are happy family people and they like the progress of the party.
“But let me use the opportunity to say that I am in touch with the Governor of Kano State and for that reason, my spirit started coming back but I also know that the governor of Kano State may not call me if he’s not in consultation with Kwankwaso. But I can tell you people that if what is happening now did not happen, they will not even know that you people (NAGAFF members) are around despite the fact that NAGAFF is the parent body of this party, they may not be taking you serious. But now, you see how God acts, they are taking you very serious now because I know that some of them have contacted you to hold meeting with you but I kept telling them, these are the owners of the party.
“Governor of Kano is our governor, he is NAGAFF governor. NAGAFF has a governor because NAGAFF is the owner of NNPP, NAGAFF has House of Representatives Members, NAGAFF has Senators, NAGAFF has State Assembly Members through their platform, NNPP. Nobody changes it, that is why we should not go out of our way. Do you know why there are few number of you here today? I have been receiving calls now, almost all of you were telling me, come, is it for us to come and begin to pray for these people that betrayed us? I am not coming. They are entitled to be angry. If you go to your (WhatsApp) platform, you would have seen what I wrote. When I came in here, very few people were here and then I have to quickly intervene and that’s why you have this number.
“The NAGAFF people, most of them who spoke to me said they are not coming, how can these people say they have expelled the founder of NNPP and founder of NAGAFF? A party they have been into for twenty one years? What are they coming here to do? To pray for what? Some of them started coming when I made an intervention. But I will appeal to all of you, we have prayed over Kano. We won Kano landslide. The Minister (of God) who spoke last, at a stage, he started talking as if somebody told him something and I almost shed tears.
“We have to show them love,we have to show them mercy, we have to show them forgiveness. There are things you cannot do, you don’t have the power, you don’t have what it takes. I also would like to inform all of you here that some of the NWC members, by the time they made that pronouncement, I am in touch with them and they are all in denial that they were not part of that rubbish while some of them have even resorted to blackmail talking about merger between APC and NNPP.
“But what I want all of you to do, both those who are here and those who are not here, tell others, let’s continue to pray even though collectively, we have made a statement here today and I am sure, aside from the divinity, that the Supreme Court judges will hear you people. We are not asking for any favour, we are only asking for justice and fairness.”
He, thereafter, beseech the members of the party in Kano State to be calm in the face of unwarranted provocations urging them to keep the peace of the society. His words, “And then, for members of NNPP in Kano State, again, I would want us to keep the peace of the society. Democracy is about the rule of law, anything to the contrary is undemocratic. So, we must not take to the street, we must not take to anywhere, let us believe in God that the right thing be done.”
Speaking on the outcome of the prayer rally, he said, “This matter is over, Governor Abba Yusuf is a child of destiny, he is also a messenger of God. I will not want to believe that God will forsake him probably the second time. God will not leave him and God will not leave NNPP. God will not leave NAGAFF but if it happens, we will still thank God because if you know God very well, God will continue to try you to know whether you really believe in him or is it because you are in difficulty that you are seeking for his intervention. So, if he didn’t intervene, you will now say there is no God. Then you can see your failure, you are a little minded person.
“So, you can’t deceive God, God will do something if he sees that you are real and he comes to you again to do certain things to tell you that he is God. I recall in Kano that there was a particular Commissioner that made certain statements that tends to portends violence and he was immediately removed from office. That will show you that NNPP is of God creation.
“I want to believe that we are taking off from Kano, the journey of liberation. We started from Bauchi State in the election before this, we almost got the governorship seat of Bauchi State, something happened at the last minute and now, we are in Kano. I know we will take off from Kano to be able to provide Nigeria with leadership. Our duty is to provide this platform for the emergence of the greatest leader. It must not happen in my lifetime but sometime, somewhere, it will happen and then, we will get a leader that will bring Nigerians together and give them direction because this country is great.”
Photo: (L-R): Mr. Chidiebere Enelama, Chairman, Board of Trustees, NAGAFF and Dr. Boniface Aniebonam, founder of NAGAFF and NNPP during the prayer rally for the victory of Governor Abba Yusuf at the Supreme Court at NAGAFF headquarters in Lagos recently.
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